CRAFT: A Coral Flutter Tee + Bloopers

I made another one of these shirts. They're just so comfy, and perfect for any season really when you add a cardi or jacket. This Flutter Tee was made out of a fussier knit than the interlock I used last time. I found juuuuust enough in the remnant bin at JoAnn's and loved it right away, but my machine did not. I pretty much felt like I was fighting with the fabric the entire time because the edges kept curling up on me, but it was completely worth it.

Jess offered a really helpful hint awhile ago to use spray starch for any super curly edges when working with knits. It may be a no-brainer for everyone else, but I was like, "why didn't I think of that??" This time I just left the edges raw since I like the look of the curled edges and, hey, it's knit and I can dangit. But also I'm lazy like that.

By the end of a project, many times I just don't feel like hemming, you know? There needs to be a group for lazy sewers like me. We'd all sit around and eat cookies and pick stitches that got all wonky because we didn't take time to iron properly. I'd join for the cookies alone.

Anyways back to the shirt. Rather than making and adding hem tape around the neck like in the original tutorial, I simply folded down the neck and armholes 1/4 inch then ironed and folded down another 1/4 inch and sewed. It makes for a quicker sew and still looks great.

I'm sure everyone's noticed I've been working a LOT with knits lately. There are just so many different colors and fun prints to choose from that I've gotten hooked! I'm sure it's also pretty evident that I like to dig through the remnant bin. Guilty. I just can't pass up that extra 10% off.

In other news, my modeling poses are still not America's Top Model-quality, but hopefully they're getting better. I've been trying to make myself a few more things lately to force myself out of my comfort zone. I think I've mastered the "stare down at shirt" technique.

For fun, I thought I'd share some of the not-so-awesome pictures that didn't make the cut (please pardon the overexposure. Part of the reason they didn't make the cut, along with the awesome facial expressions of course.)

Feel free to add your own caption to this last one and make me laugh :)

We Are Loving Right Now - Volume 13 - S'mores Edition

Did you know that tomorrow is National S'mores Day? If you've been reading for any amount of time, you know that I'm slightly extremely addicted to s'mores. Any get together is an opportunity to make them and, if there isn't a fire available, I'm more than happy to make them over the stove. That's the mark of a true obsession, friends!

With the summer winding down, I decided to round up 15 delicious s'mores recipes, including everything from s'mores cupcakes to ice cream floats and pancakes. Because if s'mores are in breakfast form, they must be healthy.  Right? Right.

S'mores Ice Cream Sandwiches via Eat. Sleep. Make.

Brownie S'mores on a Stick via Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Ooey Gooey S'mores Brownie Bars via The Comfort of Cooking

Chocolate S'mores Cupcakes via Authentic Suburban Gourmet

Simple Dipped S'mores via Love From the Oven for Tipjunkie

 No-Bake S'mores Bars via The Domestic Rebel

Reeses Peanut Butter Cup S'mores via The Recipe Critic

S'more Babies via The Cooking Dish

 S'mores Ice Cream via Spache the Spatula

 S'mores Floats via In Katrina's Kitchen

 S'mores Fudge Pops via Itsy Bitsy Foodies

 S'mores Ice Cream Cake via Annie's Eats

S'mores Pancakes via Spoonful

 Grilled Chocolate Banana Melts via Tablespoon

S'mores Cake in a Jar via How Sweet It Is

Have a great weekend everyone!



MAKE: Revived Vintage Screen Garden Wall

This project was inspired by what my family thought was a very odd purchase at an estate sale for $2.  An old mesh screen framed in old wood.  It was love at first sight to me.  As soon as I saw it a hundred ideas flooded my imagination of what could be made with it. 

After a couple weeks of pondering, I settled on the idea of a garden wall.  My aloe plant (that had a bunch of babies last year) was ready to give birth yet again.  Check out my post about separating your aloe plants here.  This little wall piece was going to give me the perfect place to display my new potted baby aloe plants. 

I had seen these little white aluminum pots at Ikea months ago and knew they'd be perfect for this!  A tiny S-hook would fit perfectly in the little holes around the top.  They'll also be great to pull off this wall during the colder months and bring the plants inside where it is safe and warm. 

I love this project because it can be made appropriate for any and all seasons and holidays! 

Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!

Want to Sponsor Eat. Sleep. Make?

Shannon and I have been pouring out our creative hearts on this little blog of ours for almost a year now, and it's been SO incredibly rewarding. We've learned new techniques, met some amazing people, and received lots of wonderful emails from our fabulous readers who have made or shared our projects.

We're happy to say that ESM has matured to a point where we will be opening our blog up for sponsors! We feel like we have a lot to offer, and we'd also like to introduce our readers to some of the fantastic shops that we know and love out there (like Southern Fabric!)

We've actually been accepting sponsors for several months now, but it's about time we officially announced it, right? At this time, we offer sidebar advertisement in two ad sizes which rotate throughout the month.

You can check out our Advertising Page HERE for details, or feel free to contact us at ESM@eatsleepmake.com for stats and more info.

Interested in giveaways or product reviews?

If you would like to host a giveaway, if you have a small business or product that you would like to promote, we would love to work with you if we feel that it is appropriate for our readers. Please email us at ESM@eatsleepmake.com and we'd be happy to discuss.

FOOD: Slaw Dogs and Vinegar Coleslaw Recipe

Today I wanted to share two of my favorite things to make during summer: grilled hot dogs and vinegar coleslaw. Both are traditional summer foods that I love, but I stumbled onto a brilliant combo of the two while visiting a local hole-in-the-wall hot dog joint in Dormont. To die for! Coleslaw on hot dogs may sound a little frightening to you, but take a walk on the wild side my friend. One bite will make you into an instant believer.

The real secret is in the coleslaw. I love traditional coleslaw, but it wasn't until I moved to Pittsburgh and tried a Primanti Brother's sandwich that I fell hard for their vinegary version that they pile on their sandwiches. Vinegar slaw has the perfect balance of sweet and tart that I could eat by the bowlful. Pile it onto a freshly grilled hot dog with some provolone and chips? I'm in heaven.

To make a slaw dog, you first need to know how to make the coleslaw.

Vinegar Coleslaw
(Adapted from this recipe)

INGREDIENTS: 1 package shredded coleslaw (approximately 1 pound), 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1/4 tsp. celery seed, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp. ground pepper.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes then drain. Refrigerate another 30 minutes and serve.

Now for the hot dog and other essential components!

Slaw Dogs:

INGREDIENTS: Ruffles potato chips, 1 package top sliced hot dog buns, provolone cheese, beef brats, vinegar coleslaw recipe above.

ONE: first, grill up your brats. When they've cooled slightly, wrap each hot dog in a slice of provolone cheese.
TWO: place the hot dog in your top sliced bun.
THREE: place chips on either side of the hot dog (these add to the flavor and help contain the coleslaw.)
FOUR: pile high with vinegar slaw.

These hot dogs are heavenly. They're a summer favorite around here (and hopefully, they'll become one of your family's favorites too!)

Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!

LIVE: Phoenix, AZ

Last Thursday I traveled to Phoenix, AZ to visit some friends.  I was in desperate need of some R&R and this trip definitely gave me what I needed.  Even though I chose the absolute worst time of year to go to the desert, I still had a blast and was able to deal with the 107 degrees that smacked me in the face every time we went outside.  And despite the scorching temps, we spent a ton of time poolside!  (My pale white skin was definitely a blatant indicator that I'm from the east coast.) 

I haven't been to the desert since I was 11 years old, so I really took a lot of photos and time to appreciate the natural surroundings that are SO different from what we have here in Pennsylvania.  I wouldn't want to live in the desert, but it was definitely a fun visit. 

The flight there was less than awesome.  It was direct, which was great, but I was seated next to a 3 year old named Pason that insisted on digging in his nose for hours and showing me everything he found up there.  The flight back... was even less awesome because the woman behind me decided to take her shoes off and place them strategically next to my head on the plane wall... and let me tell you... they did not smell pleasant.

Friday, Lauren had to work so I spent the day dog sitting her pug puppy, Penny, and a friend's labradoodle, Lucy.  So much fun!  How stinking cute is she??

I introduced Lauren to the wonderful world of dine-in theaters!  We saw The Conjuring (holy scary, people).  The theater was in this pretty ritzy part of Scottsdale that had some amazing modern architecture.  Of course, I was snapping away. 

More pool time! 

Sunday we had brunch at this amazing place called Richardson's New Mexican Cuisine.  Sooooo delicious!  The atmosphere was to die for! 

  

The one thing I absolutely loved about the city were the stark mountains that surrounded it on all sides. 

And this is Lauren... love this girl to death and I hate that she lives so far away from me!!

Hope you all have an absolutely awesome weekend!  What kind of fun little trips are you guys planning?  There's so much of the world to see out there!